


sleeping has never been so easy when im sleeping next to you

by lukioo



Category: No. 6 - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable Shion, Bathing/Washing, Bathtubs, Burns, Chloe Moriondo Songs, Dancing and Singing, Dancing in the Rain, Falling In Love, Getting to Know Each Other, Goodnight Kiss, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'll put the link in the notes/summary, Inukashi is obviously my favorite, M/M, Morning Kisses, Nezumi can't handle loosing Shion but can't say it outloud, Nezumi just wants to be loved, Novel 3 chapter 4 feels, Post-Shion's Love Confession, Pre-No.6 Wall Being Destroyed/everyone is still trying to figure stuff out, Rats & Mice, References to The Princess Bride (book), Scars, Shion just wants to love everything about Nezumi, Surprise Kissing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-08 01:56:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16420151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lukioo/pseuds/lukioo
Summary: Nezumi has always been a loner.Always.It was just like that. Shion couldn't do anything about it. How could he? If he tried, Nezumi would snap at him, and it take ages to be forgiven. Shion didn't have ages.They were both at crossroads, and if either of them chose the wrong choice, there was a possibility that they would never see each other again.With Shion beginning to work longer shifts with Inukashi and Nezumi coming home later and later after shows, they barely had anytime for each other. Which Nezumi was alright with, because in his mind, the longer that they stayed away from each other, the less that he had to deal with Shion's air-headed demeanor; and with Nezumi's fiery hatred for the Holy City, it was hard to tell what would come from his lips when the subject was brought up.Winter had struck hard and they both need to get along to survive, but Nezumi realizes that he doesn't have the same feelings for Shion when he had first rescued him.Shion—although overworked and mentally exhausted—still wants to find out more about the man he's lived with for almost 4 months.The question is, can Shion really get close to Nezumi, without risking all he stands for?





	1. long day

**Author's Note:**

> this ship will always be in my heart

I couldn't really explain how it'd happened. It just _did._ One minute there was a fully functioning bookshelf, then the next; there was not. It could've been because I had just added a few of the heavier books onto that shelf, and leaned on it a bit too, but it was one of the sturdier ones that we owned, so I wasn't expecting it to collapse into itself.

Nezumi looked down at the mess with disappointment in his eyes. I knew that I had done something wrong, and I felt like a puppy that had been kicked. It wasn't a good feeling. And, although I was expecting Nezumi to blow his top on me, he stayed almost completely still. It was unsettling how quiet he was.

"Nezumi?" I dared to ask.

"Hmm?"

His eyes flit from the mess on the floor to me. He nudges one of the books with the tip of his boot. I push my hands into the pockets of the light blue sweater I'm wearing. It's cold and drafty inside today.

"Is everything alright?" 

He nods slowly, pursing his lips. I note the residue of white paint on his face, and hope to God that stage makeup didn't have a lead component in it. I doubt it.

"Long day." Is all he says. I nod again, watching him gingerly take a seat on the bed. I take a couple books into my arms and begin to stack them onto each other, forming a makeshift shelf. I work on stacking all of them, until the area is almost clear. 

"Inukashi said he's going to give me a raise soon," I mention, picking up shards of the broken shelf from the floor. I hear Nezumi laugh hollowly.

"Maybe we can have meat pie, instead of dried meat," I add, knowing that Nezumi is fond of the meal. He nods, picking up a book from the stack. The tips of his fingers brush the top of my head as he passes back over to the bed.

"Maybe."

It really bothers me how quiet Nezumi's being. He usually comes home from work, lays down on the bed, sulks about how awful his day was and then read until dinner was done. I know that it'll go away by tomorrow morning, but it will probably worry me whenever it gets like this.

"We've got some soup saved from last night if you want to eat that, or I could make something else instead, if you want," I say over my shoulder.

"It's just a waste if we don't eat that soup."

"Soup it is then."

Nezumi shoves his nose back into the book.

_It's no use in trying to keep up a conversation with him while he's like this._

I take the lidded bowl of soup out and don't bother with heating it on the kerosene burner. It's a waste of precious kerosene that we needed to get through the winter. I take the lid off and grab a spoon, sitting myself down next to Nezumi.

"I haven't done dishes yet so we're gonna have to share."

"Got it," he replies, not looking up from the book.

"What're you reading?"

"The Princess Bride."

"I don't think I've read that one yet. Did you just pick up it recently?"

"Yeah."

"Can you read some of it to me?" I ask him, drawing the spoonful of soup to my mouth.

_I wonder if I'm pushing my limits_

Nezumi finally tears his eyes away from the page. I swallow.

"I'm only a few pages in, right now. Is it alright if I start from where I am?" He asks. I don't expect this reply. I expected a swift and hurtful comeback, ending with the soup no longer being in my possession.

"Yeah, that's alright."

Nezumi begins reading. I find myself getting lost in certain parts, which were possibly explained in the first pages that he had read.

There was a girl named Buttercup in the book who was said to be the most beautiful girl in the world, but she did not care about being the most beautiful or most charming. She only cared about the farm-boy named Westley who worked for her father and her horse; which was named Horse.

Nezumi read for a while, occasionally taking the spoon from my hands and eating. I was on the same line that he was reading aloud and tried not to read ahead of him, which was fairly easy because whenever I'd get done with a sentence, I'd lean back and watch him speak, the way words just flowed out of his mouth.

It amazed me how poetic he could speak. Hamlet clambers up my shoulder and nestles up against my neck. I stroke his head and continue to listen to Nezumi. It's not so cold in here anymore.

\----------------------

"Shion" 

I feel a slight pressure on my head and open my eyes. A shoulder supports my weight, and I groan softly.

"I'm sorry," I murmur groggily. Nezumi just shakes his head, keeping his hand resting on my head. He places the book on the table with the empty bowl and blows out the candle next to the bed. He pulls me down with him, with me lying on his chest, head between the crook of his shoulders. Hamlet had hopped off my shoulder and went down onto the floor to sleep with the other mice. I wiggle down a bit lower, until my head is next to his heart. I can hear the steady thumping of it.

_Bum babum bum babum_

It's reassuring to hear Nezumi's heart, to feel his heat, to breathe his scent. I can't think of anywhere else I want to be right now. It hurts to think of what will happen when we go through with our plan for No. 6. I still want to just destroy the walls, but Nezumi just wants to destroy it all. I want to soak in and remember all the moments I have with him while they last.

I feel his lips press against the top of my head as I drift off, falling into a dreamless, but pleasant sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apparently how you write out the sound of someones heartbeat is "lub dub" but that didn't sound as correct when I wrote   
> "lub dub lub dub" because then i think of rub a dub dub and thats not meant for hearts
> 
> comments and feedback are veeryyyyyy appreciated
> 
> thancc yall lots


	2. you reek of dog and sincerity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nezumi's pov in which he goes shopping and complains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11:59 comes around  
> Me: LETS WRITE A CHAPTER IN ONE MINUTE BECAUSE THIS DAY ISNT OVER YET  
> 12:00  
> Me: who was i kidding

Shion wakes up first, untangling himself from me and lighting a few of the candles. Cravat cheeps at his feet. He bends down and scratches the small rodent between his ears. I roll over, groaning loudly when begins to clank around the room. I open my eyes to see Shion cleaning up from last night. I'm tempted to tell him to just leave it and come back to bed, but it'd be pushing it.

I sit up, rubbing my eyes and yawning. 

"Mornin'" Shion says. I don't respond at first, adjusting my shirt which had gotten a bit twisted while I slept.

I stand up slowly, yawning once more.

Shion sits down in the wooden chair next to the bed, blindly pulling out a book from the shelf behind him. It was his method of choosing what to read next, regardless of if he'd read it before or not. I pick up The Princess Bride from the table, and flip around to where I was.

I barely hear Shion when he says that he's going to Inukashi's. I give a halfhearted "see you later", because someone should only say "goodbye" or "farewell" when the person is leaving for good. I learned that the hard way, unfortunately.

 After a few chapters, I finally decide to get up fully. Cravat, Hamlet and Tsukiyo wait at my feet, chirruping urgently.

"Hungry, huh?"

_Cheep cheep_

They all chime. I scoop them up and place them on my shoulder while I grab the last of our bread from the cupboard, unraveling it from the cloth it's tied in. I break off a few pieces for the mice, then a sizeable chunk for myself. It's almost on the verge of inedible. With my steady income at the performing theater, I've got enough to spare for some loaves of bread. The rest I need to give to Inukashi for getting the information about the inside of No. 6. 

Rikiga has enough money to spend on booze, so I don't deem it necessary to give the glutton anymore.

I pull on my jacket, and begin sifting through the pockets. I pull out just enough money from my wallet for 3 fresh loaves and maybe a small hunk of dried meat.

_It's been a while since I've treated just myself._

I grab just one more silver coin; enough for a nicely sized piece of strawberry pie. If I'm feeling generous today, I could even spare some for Shion, though he'd probably just want to pay me back with another "good deed". I put my wallet down onto the table underneath the cloth the bread was wrapped in. The mice can snack on the rest of the bread, since there wasn't very much left.

While I'm about to leave, Hamlet chirrups again. I look down to my feet.

"You wanna come too?" I ask, picking him up and placing him safely into my pocket.

"It's chilly outside, Ham."

 He probably doesn't mind, just as long as there's a promise of yummy treats. I finally leave the house, wrapping my scarf around my neck snuggly, to keep in warmth. I can see my own breath in the air. I don't really mind the cold, though. Not as much as I used to.

Hamlet nestles himself deeper into my pocket. I close my eyes as I walk, letting my feet guide me. After a few seconds I open them again. I can see No. 6 from here. It's always glowing, day and night. It's almost like the West Block's night light. Except it could never be as comforting as a night light; which is meant to keep the dark away, while No. 6 just dumps their darkness into here.

When I get into the streets, I make a beeline to the bakery--but not before I take a moment to notice the pungent scent wafting around. It's stronger than the scent that the West Block usually has. I ignore it for now, but have a lingering uncertainty, so I make sure to keep my guard up.

When I get to the bakery, the strong smell has partially gone away, and I buy three fresh loaves from the shop keeper.

"Thank you," The woman who owns the shop says as I leave. I smile back to her, but it feels a bit unnatural. I shrug it off and walk to the vendor who's selling dried meats.

"Two strips of dried beef," I ask as I get to him. The man nods, and I hand him the money first, before he gives me the meat. Vendors don't usually trust you unless you give them the money first. There were a few times where I'd hand them the money and they'd refuse to give me the meat afterwards, but that rarely happens.

I then stop at the last place, an extremely small cart in an alleyway that sold slices of pie, that were bought off of other vendors. Naturally, they were a bit more overpriced, but they were slices, and not complete pies. I asked the girl who was leaning onto it for a strawberry slice.

She couldn't have been over 13, and her cheeks flushed when she looked at my face. 

"I-is that all, sir?" She asked timidly. I nod.

The girl hands me the pie before I can give her the silver coin I had kept just for this. Hamlet peeks his head out of my pocket. As I hand her the coin, the pie in my other hand, she gasps lightly. 

"A rat!" She stumbles backwards. I look down to see Hamlet chittering and peeking his head out.

"Him? He's just a mouse."

The girl looks at me with a dumbfounded facial expression.

"His name is Hamlet," I say before I can catch and tell myself to stop. I sound like Shion.

She just continues to look at me, clutching the coin in her hand.

"Good-bye." I say, because I know that I'll probably never see her again. My head is starting to hurt, though, and the stench is still in the air.

 

\-------------------------

 

I spot Shion quickly when I arrive at Inukashi's, trying hard to ignore his laughing. A golden furred puppy licks Shion's hand, barking happily. It's coat was shiny and slightly damp, so I assumed that the puppy was just recently washed. It must be pretty cold to have a wet pelt in this weather.

"Nezumi!" Shion shouts when he sees me, waving his right arm. I continue walking.

I hear footsteps and hastened breath next to me.

"Nezumi."

"What"

Shion puts his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

"I didn't know that you were coming today. Something for Inukashi?"

"Did you think I was going to come here and bring you something?"

"No, I didn't."

He sighs.

"Do you want me to fetch Inukashi for you?"

"You're not my retriever dog, are you?" I ask, grinning at my clever play on words.

"I am not. I just thought I'd be kind enough to ask."

"I'm a big-boy, Shion. Now, please, shoo, because you reek of dog and sincerity, and to be fully honest, it's giving me a major migraine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback and comments are very much appreciated
> 
> my cat likes stepping all over my keyboard and then just falling over on it to make me love on her
> 
> i also find it hilarious that people used to call hamlet "ham" for short


	3. he sings so sweetly, but talks so meanly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shions pov, in which he works some more for inukashi and takes a nice *relaxing* bath. 
> 
> Wink wonk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeehaw it’s been a hot minute since I’ve last worked on this  
> but, alas, don’t fret my smol nezushi children, I have your dose of fluff (an a lil extra,WINK) to bring y’all happiness
> 
> <33

 I brush my bangs out of my face, sighing deeply and continue to brush the long furred dog in front of me. I'd procrastinated on brushing this one, because he was infested with fleas (that  _I_ had to get rid of) and his fur was so matted and tangled. I had just gotten finished with defleaing and brushing the shit out of it, so that meant I was  _finally_ done.

Inukashi said that if I wanted a raise from him I had to work harder on getting dogs clean faster. 

_Nezumi just went into talk with Inukashi._

_I don't know if I should go in there yet because they're still talking._

I can hear Inukashi heatedly arguing inside. I knock on the crumbling doorframe when I enter, Inukashi bringing his words to a halt.

"I'm finished outside," I tell him, glancing over at Nezumi, who has his jacket stuffed with food.

"Are all the dogs washed and brushed?"

"Yes."

Inukashi looks to Nezumi, then me, and back at Nezumi.

"You can go with Nezumi then, when he leaves."

I nod, smiling lightly. "Thank you. Inukashi."

"Yeah, yeah. Stop being a kiss-ass."

I hear the all too familiar cheep of Hamlet, and begin to look around for the small rodent. Nezumi yanks the back of my hair, getting me to look to him. He was holding the mouse in his hand, and I scoop him up quickly. Inukashi snorts. 

"You two are like an old couple now," He gibes, an almost comical glimmer in his eyes. Without skipping a beat, Nezumi sharply replies with, "Your ass must be real jealous of all the shit that comes out of your mouth."

"Nah, it's actually jealous of what you spew out."

Nezumi's lip twitches, and I expect him to lunge at Inukashi and give him hell, bracing myself to hold him back, but he doesn't do a thing. He simply grabs my arm and pulls me with him out of the ruins of a hotel. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Inukashi slide down the wall and onto the floor.

"Fuckin' bitch, having the nerve to say something like that." Nezumi grumbles.

"I don't think it was fair for you to fuel it for him."

"Excuse me?" Nezumi snaps harshly.

I don’t reply, cupping Hamlet in my hands. The cold bites at my nose and fingertips. Nezumi doesn’t say anything else—to my advantage. I’m sure he’ll bring it up later tonight though, so I should at least try and prepare myself. 

———————

The hot water surrounding me feels so inviting after today. I was lucky that Nezumi didn’t bring up Inukashi again. 

Footsteps are heard from outside of the door. I sink lower into the hot water, my legs rising out the lower I go. It rises over my nose, my mid thigh is out of the water. 

I place my feet against the wall, and push myself back up, taking a deep breath of air. I plunge back down into the water and squeeze my eyes shut. I pull my legs into the water too, so that every part of me is under the water.

It’s nice under here. There’s no cold seeping into the water. No reason to open my eyes because I'll just see the world blurred before me. I don’t need to breathe under the water. I mean sure, I might drown if I stay under too long, but I know when to come back up for air.

I think about opening my eyes, just a little. Before I really have the chance to decide, I feel another limb in the water—a limb that doesn’t belong to me.

It grabs my hair and pulls me out of the water _._

 _What the hell_?

I gasp when my head hits fresh air. A sharp slap is brought across my cheek. My eyes dart open. 

Nezumi is standing there, fingers wrapped in my hair, and the hand he just slapped me with is at his side. 

I feel a fit of coughs rising up in my throat. 

“Shion, what the fuck are you doing?!” Nezumi shouts as a hack up my lungs. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. My cheek stings, badly. 

Once my series of coughs is finished, I finally say something to him.

“Why the hell are you in here?!” I yell, not as loud as he had, but pretty damn close. And that was not at all the response he was hoping for. 

Another slap came to my cheek. His grasp on my hair tightens and I let out a pitiful whimper. 

Nezumi bites his lip when the noise falls from my lips. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking. 

“I knocked on the door and asked if you wanted me to make dinner!”

 It makes sense, to be honest. Nezumi knocks on the door, no response for a while, and gets concerned. It proves that he’s more of a softie than I had really thought, though. 

“I’m sorry!” I sob out, taking Nezumi by surprise. His eyes widen and the cruel tone in his voice completely vanishes. 

“Oh, Shion,” he murmurs, letting go of my hair and catching my head with the hand he used to hit me. Nezumi sits himself of the rim of the bathtub. 

“I’m sorry,” I repeat, shaking my head and trying to keep the tears in. A mix of snot and tears stream down my red face. The tips of my ears grow extremely warm. 

 _I’m so embarrassed_. 

Nezumi shushes me softly, running his fingers through my damp hair. My scalp feels so sore, but that’s the least of my worries. 

The way I’m sobbing it can at least disguise how red I am, but  it’ll be hard to ignore when I finally calm down. Plus, I’m naked too, which I adds onto me being so flushed. 

Before I can really think anymore, Nezumi raises my chin up to him. My heart begins to race, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he could hear it. 

“Shion,” he murmurs, eyes lazily gazing into mine. His pretty grey eyes. I almost completely forget about my being naked. 

I wipe away some of the tears from my cheek, pleasantly surprised when they stop. 

I look at Nezumi in slight fear. 

_What was he going to do?_

I want to pull away from his hand, but his lips look so inviting. I want to kiss him, but not in this situation. I’m naked, for Christ’s sake!

Nezumi draws closer, and our lips brush against each other. 

“Nezumi,” I whisper against his. 

My eyes flutter closed, hands reach for the back of his neck, to pull him in closer. 

The water shifts dramatically in the tub. Nezumi isn’t sitting on the edge of the bathtub. 

He’s _in_ the bathtub. 

My eyes dart open, and I gasp loudly. 

“Nezumi!” I breathe, trying to cover myself with my hands, a chance to at least have a slight amount of modesty—although this is the west district where modesty is a thing for the higher ups. And Nezumi and I are not at all higher ups. 

Nonetheless, I do try to cover myself. Until Nezumi grabs my wrist, not leaving my eyes at all. 

His pants and shirt are soaked. 

“Don’t worry,” he says, a hint of something in his voice I’d never heard from him before. “I won’t look.”

I find it hard to believe, but I stop trying to cover myself.

He presses his lips to mine again, and I can feel how warm his breath is. I have to admit, I love the feeling of his lips on mine. 

“Nezumi.” I say, just to feel the way his name rolled off my tongue and into his mouth. 

Wet fabric plasters against his skin. His hair is slightly wet. His fingertips are wet when they trace over the scar. 

The water was hot, but now it’s even hotter with too warm bodies in it. Even though Nezumi is fully clothed, his heat still seeps out into the water.

It’s nice—despite the fact that I’m naked. My face cools down, and I open my eyes to see Nezumi staring down at me. 

His dark eyelashes frame those absolutely gorgeous grey eyes that I love oh so much. 

“Shion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> baths are just genuinely the most enjoyable thing, in my opinion


	4. bon appetit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rikiga makes an appearance  
> Shion makes noodles  
> Nezumi hates laundry
> 
> What else did you expect?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is one of the most and least serious fanfic I have ever written 
> 
> I love this so much

“Shion!”

I look up from the book I was reading, seeing Rikiga prance to me. Inukashi and Nezumi were inside, talking. 

“Rikiga-San!” I wave when I see him. 

“Are you out of work?” He asks. I nod, pointing to where Nezumi and Inukashi were. 

“Good!” Rikiga nods, then grabbing my arm. 

“Rikiga-San?” I ask nervously. Whenever I follow Rikiga into something, I’ll usually get an extremely stern “talking to” by Nezumi. 

I find it odd how Nezumi doesn't like me talking to Rikiga. He may be a bit of a drunk, but he doesn't have bad intentions for me. He's just trying to make me feel welcome; not in the West Block, but just in general.

It's nice to talk to Rikiga for a while. 

"Eve been treatin' you well, kid?" He teases, tousling my hair. I shove his hand away playfully.

"Yeah, he has. Where we goin' today, Rikiga-san?" I ask, shutting my book and standing up. He was significantly taller than me. He was taller than Nezumi too.

"Hmm, well I was thinking about going to the theater, and getting a bite to eat, but Eve isn't playing tonight, so you might not be too interested." He shrugs, then takes a glance at the book in my hands.

"Whatcha readin' this time?" 

"Oh, it's a book that Nezumi just got finished with. It's called The Princess Bride. And I don't mind going to the theater with you." I smile, holding out the book for him while we walk.

He takes it from my hands, flipping through it.

"Wow, some big ole words in here! Prince Humperdink?" He says the syllables of the name.

"That's the prince who tries to force Buttercup to marry him."

"Buttercup?" He chuckles.

"Oh, that's the woman Westley loves." I say, for some reason thinking it would clear up his confusion. His eyebrows furrow and he begins to laugh whole-heartedly.

"Kid, there's no way you'll be able to explain it to me without me reading the entire book."

"Agreed. Maybe I could lend it to you when I'm done with it, if you'd like." I offer as he hands the book back.

"Of course. You and Eve always have good book suggestions--although he would never let me lay a hand on one of his books."

"Yeah, he's over protective." I scratch the back of my neck, "oh, while we're nearby, I need to stop by the house and grab something. Is that alright?

"Sure thing. I'll wait outside." Rikiga says as I nod and walk into the house.

The door creaks open, and the mice chirrup at me when I get into the room.

"Hi, Tsukiyo, Cravat, Ham." I greet them, sitting down softly on the chair next to the bed. I place the book on the table, grabbing a shirt off of the bed.

I take of my jacket and undershirt, pulling on a pale yellow longsleeved sweater, pleasantly sighing at the slight scent of it. 

_Nezumi._

I then stand and take a thick knit sweater, pulling it over Nezumi's shirt. I put my jacket back on and switch out my shoes, from my work shoes to my boots.

Wooly and warm, just the way I like my them. By wrapping a warm scarf around my neck, I was ready to go again.

"Buh-bye, Ham, Tsukiyo and Cravat."

I leave the room, locking the door behind myself.

"Sorry that took so long, Rikiga-san. I didn't want to smell like wet dog, though.”

”Ah, it’s no big deal.” Rikiga chuckles. “A little used time never killed anyone.”

We walk to town, and stop by a small looking theater—significantly smaller than the one in No. 6. 

A man comes to us, an aggravated look on his face. 

“No shows tonight!” He says, waving his arms round. “No shows tonight!”

”Damn. No shows.” Rikiga swears. 

“I can see that.” I cockily respond, grinning. 

“You sound like Eve, y’know?” He laughs, turning around from the theater. 

“How come you call Nezumi Eve? I know it’s his stage name, but you can call him by his true name.” I wonder out loud. 

“Oh, that? It’s easier to call him Eve when I’ve known that the whole time. Nezumi is too new, I’m used to callin’ him Eve.”

”Oh.”

We exit the theater, and I think about where we’re going next. There’s not much to do, unless you want to hook up or get wasted. 

“Where’d you like to go?” Rikiga asks me. 

“Not sure. I have to get back home soon, if I want to make dinner when Nezumi gets home.” I shrug. 

“Ah, I see. Do you need any food?”

”Oh, no. I don’t need you to spend your money on me. We’re fine with what we have!” I insist. 

“Alright, alright. If you say so.” He says. “Well, if you don’t need me for anything, since the theater is closed for tonight, I guess I’ll just head home.”

”Ditto.” I nod, saying farewell and heading back home. 

When I open the door again, it’s unlocked. Nezumi is sitting on the floor, drinking a cup of tea with the mice curled up and asleep next to his discarded boots. 

“Welcome home, princess.” He greets, not looking up from the stack of coins he was counting. 

“Hey.” I wave, taking out a pot from one of the cupboards. “Any dinner requests?”

”Something yummy.” He says while the stack of coins on the table clink together loudly as he pushes them back into his wallet. 

“Ooh, you got your coin purse out again.” I tease, pulling out a covered glass of bone broth and pouring it into the pot. 

“Shut up, Snow White.”

”Man, you are the queen of nicknames today, huh?”

Nezumi doesn’t respond, but chuckles to himself softly.

“Noodles sounds good? We don’t have much chicken to spare, though, if that’s alright.”

”It’s not ideal, but I’ll survive.”

”That’s the spirit.” I pat him with the ladle, it barely reaching the top of his head. The kerosene oven takes a few minutes to heat up, and once the broth begins to simmer, I add the noodles to the broth. 

“Mm, smells yummy.” I sigh pleasantly. 

“Would you like a record player?” Nezumi asks me suddenly. 

“A record player? Is that the thing that Rikiga-San has that plays music?”

”Yeah. I’ve been looking into getting one; it’s so quiet here and I am aching for some good music.” He hops onto the bed and dramatically slams his feet on the table. 

“Mm, that’d be nice to have music in here. Which leads me to this, have you washed your clothes recently?” I ask while stirring the noodles. 

“Ughh, I don’t wanna talk about it.” He groans, snatching a book up and opening it, then placing it down on his face. “And how does a record player lead to my laundry?”

“It just does. Your sweater was still on the bed when I came back to change. It doesn’t smell the freshest.” I inform him, turning off the oven and grabbing two bowls. 

“My sweater?” He fake laughs loudly. “Ha! More like a sweater that used to be mine but now you use it as an undershirt and sleep shirt.”

”It’s soft on the inside!” I defend my case. “Don’t attack me for liking a sweater you own.”

”I will attack you!!” He shoots back with as much defensiveness in his voice as I had in mine. 

“God, just take your damn soup.” I sigh, handing him his bowl and ladling out some of the broth and noodles. 

“Bon appetit!” He says, raising a spoonful up in the air. “Oh, dear Jesus, that’s hot.”

”It did just come off the stove.” I joke, nudging him as I sit down.

”I hate you so much,” He shakes his head and blows on his dinner.

“Guess what.” I say after a while of us eating in silence. 

“What?” He asks with his mouth partially full. I grin, pulling down my outer sweater to reveal, the one and only, pale yellow sweater. 

“You goddamned asshole!” He throws his (unoccupied) hand up in the air in exasperation. 

I crack up laughing at his reaction, and which he shoves me with his foot. I definitely deserve it. 

“I want that shirt back.” Nezumi huffs, spooning soup into his mouth. 

“After you wash it.”

He rolls his eyes and then just says, “just keep it, you dunce.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**Author's Note:**

> feedback and comments are very appreciated!


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